rap1943 Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Hi Pals A friend of mine is transcribing her grand-father's diary's. She has come across three names she can't place, so to speak. They are: HEISLIG MOTEVILLERS STEENVORQUE Thats the way she has been able to read them but the issue of poor spelling and fading pencil is a problem. The bloke was in the 29th Battalion AIF. Although he may have been transferred at some stage. Can anybody help please. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 STEENVORQUE,could possibly read as STEENVORDE ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roel22 Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Steenvoorde (France) to be exact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ypres1418 Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Can you scan them and then post them on here, quite a few forumites are good at decyphering old papers, mandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 Hi Pals A friend of mine is transcribing her grand-father's diary's. She has come across three names she can't place, so to speak. They are: HEISLIG MOTEVILLERS STEENVORQUE Thats the way she has been able to read them but the issue of poor spelling and fading pencil is a problem. The bloke was in the 29th Battalion AIF. Although he may have been transferred at some stage. Can anybody help please. Bob Have you got the dates as well? We can then work out the area the 29th were in at the time. stevem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcassidy Posted 30 January , 2007 Share Posted 30 January , 2007 If he served with the AIF, his service record should be online here: http://www.naa.gov.au/The_Collection/recordsearch.html (choose "Search now as a guest"). More info here: http://www.awm.gov.au/find/index.asp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Alexander Posted 31 January , 2007 Share Posted 31 January , 2007 STEENWERQUE (or Steenwerck) - west of Armentieres (for certain). A billeting village for battalions in the BG Line and Armentieres sectors MORVILLERS (?) west of Amiens (possibly) I have no idea of what the other place name could be. German maybe? - if the soldier served in the Army of Occupation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 31 January , 2007 Author Share Posted 31 January , 2007 Hi Thanks for the replies so far. I've shot off an e-mail to my mate in Perth, the owner of the diaries, withh questions about dates etc. No reply yet. Because I don't have control of the diaries I can't be sure about a scan, anyhow I have asked. Got some more. He sailed from Melbourne on the Ascanius 10th Dec 1915 as part of the 29th Battalion 1st reinforcements. Then while in Egypt was transferred to the 14th Battalion (aka Jacka's Mob). Will post again when she provides more info. Bob EDIT: Sorry about the bum steer about the 29th B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 1 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 1 February , 2007 I've finally got more info. I will quote the e-mail I received. "Feb 25 1917. It seems Heislig might be somewhere near Ribemont as 2 days previous he says "Back again to Ribemont we start a course of training..." and 2 days after they have a football match between 15th and 16th Platoons. "Feb 28 We played 13 Platoon there football match but sorry to have to record the fact that we (14 Battalion) were badly beaten I played football similar to I used to in the days gone by and after the match all made a great fuss of me and was as the saying goes made a little God." Motevillers must be close to Le Havre because he's there re-training after recuperating from wounds - date is 16 Aug 1917 Steenvorque - He was with the 14th in the trench known as Great Wall of China. He must have been in the front line and then says "Sept 30 [1917] Fritz bombed all around our camp last night but did no harm to us we are payed today then take buses back to Steenvorgue for a rest". Before that, on Sept 29 they were at a camp called Halifax. China Wall was a communciations trench near Zillebeke in Belgium - apparently. " Hope this helps, the place name spellings are hers. Cheers Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PBI Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Perth China Wall Military Cemetery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Jones Posted 1 February , 2007 Share Posted 1 February , 2007 Heislig sounds like Heilly, near Ribemont-sur-Ancre S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 4 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 4 February , 2007 Thanks for the suggestions I think we have now pinned them down (almost). We've gone for Montivilliers near LaHavre, Heilly near Ribemont-sur-Ancre and either Steenvoorde or Steenwerck. Thanks again Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevem49 Posted 4 February , 2007 Share Posted 4 February , 2007 Thanks for the suggestions I think we have now pinned them down (almost). We've gone for Montivilliers near LaHavre, Heilly near Ribemont-sur-Ancre and either Steenvoorde or Steenwerck. Thanks again Bob The China Wall system took the men from Zillebeke area to Menin Road and beyond. I think it likely to be Steenvoorde . My battalion moved from a camp near Steenvorde via China Wall to Whitesheet prior to Messines. Steenvoorde is also on the main road to Pop - Ypres. stevem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rap1943 Posted 7 February , 2007 Author Share Posted 7 February , 2007 Thanks Steve it does look like Steenvoorde alright. Cheers Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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